Cole Hults has decided to forego his senior season and turn pro as the Kings announced that they’ve signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract that will begin in the 2020-21 season. Per CapFriendly, the deal breaks down as follows:
2020-21: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $125K in performance bonuses, $70K AHL salary
2021-22: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $125K in performance bonuses, $70K AHL salary
The 21-year-old recently wrapped up his junior year with Penn State and had a strong season offensively. He picked up eight goals and 22 assists in 34 games for the Nittany Lions, setting new career bests in both goals and points. Those numbers helped him earn a spot on the NCAA West’s second All-American team.
Los Angeles drafted Hults back in the fifth round (134th overall) back in 2017 and he has outperformed that selection so far. It’s likely that he will require some development time at the minor league level before making the jump to the NHL so he will almost certainly begin next season with the Ontario Reign of the AHL.